Trolley-retractor.



l l 1 vsigned tolcheckthe upward flight of atrolley when the wheel jumps the conductor-wire.`

No. 733,676. l

Patented September 8, 1963.

PATENT OFFICE RICHARD H. HAM, on srooltron'r,.New YORK.

TsoLLEY-RETRACTOR.

SPECIFICATION aiming part of Letters Patent No. 738,676, dated september s, 1903. Application led January 16,1903. Serial No. 139,2790. (No model To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD H. HAM, iof

,Stockportnnthe countyof Columbia and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 'lrolley-Retractors;` andl do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inven-` tion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains toin ake and use the same. i

The primary object of this invention is to provide a trolley-retractor for carrying a trolley-catcher, so that the weight of .the latter may be utilized to aid in retracting the trolley.

Trolley-catchers are, as is well known, de-

By-my invention as soon as 'this occurs the retractor is freed and sofacts upon the catcher and trolley that the wheel is immediately' brought back beneath the wire.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth, `and particularly pointed out in the claims. n

In the accompanying'drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 2 is a plan view with parts broken away.` Fig. 3 is an end view. Fig. 4 shows a portion of the face# plate and retractor-arm removed.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a `boxing or casing openfat its front and ends and designed to be secured-'in an upright position to the dashboard of a. trolley-car. EX- tending transversely of the lowerend of the casing and mounted in the sides thereof is a shaft 2, designed to form a bearing for the hub 3 of a retractor-arm 4. The hub is shown in the form of a U -shape plate having co- 4 incident openings 5 in its laterals 6 to accom- Inodate the shaft, the retractor-arrn being integral with or 'secured to the central body portion 7 Around shaft 2 are coiled the'ends of a spring 8,1 which are secured to ratchetwheels 9, loosely mounted on the shaft. The central portion of the spring bears against the inner side of the retractor-arm. This oentralportion may beV divided, as when two springs instead of one areemployed Pawls 10 engage the ratchet-wheels to prevent their The ratchet-wheels may be turned to increase the spring tension.

The retractor-arin is in the form of an ap proximately rectangular frame 12, which is designed to be freely moved into and out of the casing'. The outer face-plate 13 is of increased thickness to forma tenon-block 14 of the` widthof, but less in length than, theopening inthe retractor-arm, a bow-spring 15 be tween the end of the block and the outer end of the arm serving to normally hold the block against the lower end of the frame. The outer edges of the face-plate are 'designed to be normally seated against the sides of the' casing.

16 designates the locking-plate mounted on the inner side of frame 12 and movable longi tudinally thereof, together with the face plate, to which it is secured by screws 17 At its upper or outerend the plate 16 is pro p `vided with a hook 18, shown in the forni of a lateral shoulder channeled or grooved on its` under face. This hook is curved or rounded, so that when forced against a locking-bar 19 it will Vride upwardly thereon, and upon passing to the inner side thereof the plates 13-and 16 will be free to move downwardly -under the recoil of spring 15, and thus be locked within the casing.

2O designates `the trolley-catcher of the form in common use. It is designed to be secured to the faceplate, on the outside there of, and to have secured thereto the rope 21, Afast at itsV other end to the trolley.

2Z'de'signates the buffer designed to corn` tact witha'spring 23'to prevent damage to` the'device or the car in the event of the former being released when the rope is not secured to the trolley.

In practice with the car running under normal conditions the retraotor is held Within -the casing by bar 19 against the tension of spring 8, the two plates 13 and 16 being held at the lower end of frame 12 under the ten sion of spring 15, although obviously the plates 13 and 16 to move upwardly, thereby ICO disengaging hook 1S from bar 19 and allow- \ing the retractor-arm under the recoil of spring 8 and the weight of the catcher to instantly swing outwardly, drawing the trolley beneath the wire and precluding the possibility of its coming Vin contact with the arms by which the latter is supported. As soon as the trolley-wheel is replaced in engagement with the conductor-wire an inward swing of the retractorarln will cause hook 18 to reengage bar 19, and thus hold the arm locked, as before, with the trolley-catcher in proper position. y

.The advantages of my invention are apparent.

The device is simple in construction and operation and free of complicated mechanism.

It is obvious that various forms of trolleycatchers as generally used may readily be secured to a retrantor constructed in accordf ance with my invention, so that the pull on weight of the catcher serving to swing the retractor when the latter is rel-eased, as s'et forth. f

2. In combination, a trolley-catcher and a trolley-retractor, the latter comprising a movable member to which the trolley-catcher is secured, and means for normally holding such member looked, such means being' actuated to release said member and permit the' such arm locked, and a spring acting on such arm, -said trolley-catcher being mounted on said arm, said locking means being disengaged upon a pull being exerted on the catcher, and said arm being thereby swung outwardly under the recoil of said spring and the weight of the catcher, substantially as set forth.

4. In a trolley-retractin g device, in combination, a pivoted retractor-arm, means tending to swing` said arm in one direction, a locking-plate in sliding engagement with said arm designed to normallyhold thelatter as against the tension of said swinging means, and a trolley-catcher m ounted on the retractor-arm, substantially as set forth.

5. In a trolley-retracting device, in combi nation, a pivoted retractor-arm, and means tending to swing said arm in one direction, a locking-plate in sliding engagement with said arm to normally hold the latterv as against the tension of said swinging means, a face-plate secured to and movable with said lockingplate, and connections between said faceplate and the trolley, substantially as set forth.

6. In a trolley-retracting device, in combination, a pivoted retractor-arm having an open frame, a spring tending to swing said arm in one direction, aface-plate movable in said frame, a looking-plate secured to and movable with said face-plate and tending to normally hold said arm as against the tension of said spring, and connections between said face-plate and the trolley, as set forth.

7 In a trolley-retracting device, the combination with a casing having an open front and ends, and a shaft and locking-bar mounted, respectively, in the lower and upper ends of said casing, of a retractor-arm mounted on said shaft', a spring tending to swingsaid arm outwardly from said casing, a sliding locking member in engagement with said arm having a hook at its upper end designed to normally engage said locking-bar, and connections be- .tween said locking member and the trolley,

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outwardly from said casing, said arm earrying an open frame, a face-plate on the outer side of said arm with a tenon fitted within said frame, a locking-plate secured to and movable with said face-plate on the inner side of said arm, a spring tending to hold vsaid locking-plate at the lower end of said frame, a shoulder on the upper fend of said lockingplate designed to normallyengage said locking-bar, the outer face of said shoulder being rounded, and a trolley-catcher mounted on said face-plate and connected to the trolley, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD H. HAM.

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